Minnesota WWII veteran ID’d by forensics, will be buried with honors

WWII veteran from Minnesota ID’d by forensic DNA

More than eight decades after US Army Air Force Pvt. Robert W. Cash died in World War II, his body has been identified by DNA forensics.

ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - More than eight decades after U.S. Army Air Force Pvt. Robert W. Cash died in World War II, the mission to "leave no soldier behind" remains a driving force bringing closure to family members.

"We’ll honor him and put him to rest in America," Leo Falardeau, Cash’s cousin, told FOX 9.

Falardeau did not know Cash until this year.

Born in Minnesota in 1921, Cash was stationed in the Philippines and died of dysentery and malaria, at 20 years old.

In Honolulu, forensic anthropologist Dr. Mary Megyesi led the charge on DNA testing that identified Cash in April 2024.

"It provides closure to families. I think it’s meaningful to individual families, it’s meaningful to our country," forensic anthropologist Dr. Mary Megyesi told FOX 9.

On Oct. 24, Cash will receive a burial with full military honors, in New York.

"We are finally going to bring him home," Falardeau said. "He’ll be buried in the same cemetery as his father."

Previously, Cash’s remains -- marked as unknown – were meticulously cared for at the Manila American Cemetery in the Philippines.

Now, a rosette will be placed next to his name on the Walls of the Missing, to indicate that he is accounted for.